Check the eligibility criteria before applying.

Website: https://www.serbonline.in/SERB/its

Step-by-Step Process: 

https://www.serbonline.in/SERB_Help/pi/Multiscreen_HTML5/desktop/Proposal_Submission_for_International_Travel_Support_Scheme.htm 

The following procedure applies mainly to the students of IIT Jodhpur. Others may also find it helpful.

Application Stage

Step 1: After getting the conference acceptance, ask your conference organizers to send the Conference Invitation Letter. This is required in the VISA application form and for getting NOC from the institute. 

You will find something like a “Request for Invitation letter” option under the VISA section of the conference website.

Note: This document is not required to apply for the ITS grant. However, getting it as soon as possible is recommended because it takes some time for the organizers to prepare the documents.

Step 2: You are required to get permission from your institute to attend the conference and also get the necessary documents for the ITS as well as VISA application. For this, you need to do the following:

Documents Required from IIT Jodhpur (Contact the Office of Academics PG)

1. Permission for Attending Conferences, Workshops, and Symposiums (A-4)

For this, you have to submit the following in your department office:

1. • Copy of the invitation from the organizer

   • Copy of paper acceptance

   • Copy of Abstract (the publication is from IIT Jodhpur)

   • Form A-4 PERMISSION FOR ATTENDING CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, SYMPOSIUM with all the required signatures, copy enclosed

2. NOC for VISA application (already there in the form A4 and will be provided to you by the Office of Academics PG based on the documents submitted in 1). 

3. Bona fide for VISA application (after getting the approval for 1, the Office of Students will give you the bona fide)

An endorsement letter is required from the institute to apply for ITS grant. Write an application and get it signed by your supervisor and the head of the department. Submit the application along with the endorsement form to your department office. The office will get it signed by the Head of the institution. Endorsement letter will be issued after getting the approval (Form A-4).

Step 3: After getting the endorsement letter, prepare the documents and fill out the form on the SERB ITS portal.

Step 4: The decision on your application will be communicated between 30 to 45 days prior to the start date of the Event. After getting the grant approval from the SERB, you must accept the same. The option for accepting the grant can be found on the application portal.

Step 5: After getting all the documents, you can apply for the VISA. For this, please go through the below-mentioned process.

VISA application

Contact the Embassy/High Commissions of the visiting country in India and get all the details regarding VISA applications (if you have any doubt, don't hesitate to call or email the embassy).

Some standard documents that are required for the VISA application process:

• Passport

• Invitation Letter from the conference organizers

• Bona fide from the institute

• NOC from the institute

• Bank statement for the last 6 months

• Travel itinerary (Air tickets and hotel booking details)

• International Travel Insurance (optional but strongly recommended)

Note: Air tickets and hotel booking details are required at the time of VISA application. Therefore, book them before applying for the VISA.

Regarding Air Tickets

The air tickets need to be purchased from the agents mentioned on the SERB ITS website. No reimbursement will be made if you buy it from somewhere else. Train tickets can be booked from the IRCTC website.

As mentioned under FAQs on https://www.serbonline.in/SERB/its

Q2: Do I need to A) book my air tickets with Air India only or any other specific airline and B) Who will provide the certificate for "Lowest Available Fare"?

A2A: There is no specific airline that needs to be preferred while making your travel reservations. The air tickets are to be booked in economy class at "Lowest Available Fare" on the date of booking. The tickets need to be purchased from any of the two authorized agents viz. i) M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL) and ii) M/s Ashoka Travels and Tours(ATT). Bookings through any other agency will not be considered for reimbursement.

A2B: While booking your air tickets from any of the two authorized agents viz. i) M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL) and ii) M/s Ashoka Travels and Tours (ATT), request them to provide the required certificate. 

You can contact any of the agents mentioned above and book your tickets.

Just so you know, please keep all the original boarding passes, visa, and registration receipts. These will be required at the time of reimbursement.

Claim Reimbursement Stage

Step 1: After coming back from the conference, prepare all the documents as mentioned on the SERB website for claiming reimbursement.

Step 2: The reimbursement amount comes into the institute's account. You need to provide the institute's bank account detail on the SERB portal. The bank account details can be taken from the Office of R&D.

Step 3: After filling out all the details on the SERB portal, you are also required to send the same to the address provided on the SERB portal. Before sending the original documents, take a scan or make photocopies of all the documents.

Step 4: The SERB takes around 30-45 days to verify the details and send the money into the institute's account. You can check the status on the SERB portal. After the money has been credited to the institute's account, you can contact the office of R&D. The office of R&D, after verifying the details, will credit the amount into your account.

Some suggestions:

• Start preparing all the necessary documents as early as possible.

• While applying for ITS grant, you are required to provide a financial budget (the amount you need). You have to provide fare details, visa charges, and registration fees. Since air ticket prices change, mention a little extra to the current air ticket price in fare details. SERB will reimburse only the sanctioned amount.

• If accommodation is not included in your conference registration kit, you can book the hotels using websites like booking.com/makemytrip.com/goibibo.com/ etc. The booking can also be made by paying nothing (No prepayment required). SERB doesn't provide reimbursement for accommodation.

• Get your currency exchanged at either bank or any RBI-authorized Forex agent. Apart from cash, you can also check for cards like State Bank Foreign Travel Card, etc.

• Get familiar with the visiting country's transportation facilities, communication/wifi, language, food, etc. Download an offline Google map of the places you will visit. Also, if you are visiting some non-English speaking country, download the Google Translate package of that particular language.

• The power supply system is different. Therefore, purchase at least two international travel adapters. These are available on Flipkart and Amazon.

• Institute also provides partial financial support to regular Ph.D. students for presenting Research Work at National and International Conferences.

• Also, look for other funding opportunities like CSIR, ICMR (for researchers working in the biomedical field), etc. Application procedure and required documents are more or less the same.  In addition to that, you can also ask the conference organizers for a concession in the registration fee. Some conference organizers also provide partial travel grants. 

All the Best !!

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only. The information provided here is based on the personal experience of the owner. In case of any doubt, it is strongly advised to contact the institute's office and SERB. The procedures are subject to change, and the owner assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site.